Furniture structure



Get. 16, i956 M. KOENIGSBERG FURNITURE STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 5,` 1954 1N VEN TOR. @5

@z /Oe United States Patent O FURNITURE STRUCTURE Max Koenigsberg, Highland Park, lll., assignor to The Englander Company, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application October 5, 1954, Serial N o. 460,356

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-180) The present application relates to a novel furniture structure Vand more particularly to a novel combination including a frame member, an exterior covering fabric, a dust cover, and securing means adapted for use in chairs, divans, beds, vehicle seats, and the like.

In the past, furniture structures of the type contemplated herein have usually included wooden frame members, so that covering fabrics could be stapled, tacked, or otherwise easily secured thereto. The present invention contemplates the use of metal frame members, and has for a primary object the provision of a novel structure wherein an outer covering fabric and a fabric dust cover are secured to the metal frame in a simple and economical manner.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel structure of the above described type wherein the fabrics are secured to the metal frame member in a manner which substantially eliminates any possibility of tearing the fabrics. v

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel structure of the above described type wherein an outer covering fabric is secured to a metal frame member in a manner so that the fabric is drawn tight to provide a pleasing, smooth appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a chair, divan, day-bed, or other similar piece of furniture, embodying the novel structure of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the novel structure of this invention partially assembled;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the novel structure of this invention in further assembled relationship;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the novel structure of this invention fully assembled;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modied form of the metal frame member which may be used in the structure of this invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing another modied form of the present invention in partially assembled condition; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the structure of Fig. 6 in its fully assembled condition.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a piece of furniture 10 incorporating the novel structure of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. This piece of furniture includes a metal frame 12, which may form a part of a box-spring unit including coil-springs 14. An outer covering fabric 16 is disposed over the springs and the frame, and a dust cover 18 is provided for closing the bottom of the frame. The outer cover and the dust cover are secured to the ice frame in a manner which will be described below. The frame is supported by any suitable means such as a plurality of legs 20 of which only one is shown, and a cushion or mattress 22 is usually disposed on top of the box-spring unit.

The novel structure of the present invention is more clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 and includes a sheet metal frame member 24 which forms a part of the above described frame 12. The frame member 24 is provided with a generally vertical web 26, which may have a central inwardly formed channel portion 28 to add strength and rigidity thereto. ln addition, a ange 30 extends nwardly from the bottom edge of the web, and a similar horizontal ange 32 extends inwardly from the upper edge of the web.

ln accordance with the present invention, the outer fabric cover 16 and the fabric dust cover 18 are secured to the frame member by means of a plurality of pointed barbs or tabs 34 struck downwardly from the lower flange 30. As shown in Fig. 2, the barbs or tabs are initially formed so that they are inclined downwardly and outwardly with respect to the flange in order to retain the dust cover which is irst applied thereto and stretched between opposite sides of the frame. A marginal portion 36 of the fabric cover 16 is then pressed onto the tabs or barbs. It is important to note that this marginal portion is doubled over and stitched as at 38 to provide a hem, and that an elongated wire 40 extends for the length of the hem and is retained between the thicknesses thereof.

After the marginal portion or hem of the fabric 16 is pressed onto the tabs, the tabs are folded rearwardly or inwardly of the f-rame through the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4. It will be appreciated that during and after this folding operation, the hem of the outer fabric 16 serves to prevent disassembly of the dust cover from the tabs. It should also be noted that, as thetabs 34 are folded to the position shown in Fig. 4, the outer fabric 16 will be stretched so that it will have a smooth appearance. During such stretching, the double thickness of the hem serves to reduce any possibility of tearing of the fabric, and the wire 40 substantially eliminates any possibility of injury to the fabric since it serves to spread the stresses applied to the fabric by the tabs or barbs. As shown in Fig. 4, the tabs 34 are preferably folded, so that the wire 40 and the portion of the hem surrounding it are lrmly pressed or clamped against the dust cover 18 as at 42. Thus, the dust cover is gripped between the wire and the ange 30, so that any tension forces applied to the dust cover will be resisted by this gripping action and any possibility of the dust cover tearing on the tabs or barbs is reduced.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a slightly modified sheet metal frame member 44, which may be used in place of the above described frame member 24. The frame member 44 is identical with the frame member 24, except that it is provided with barbs or tabs 46 which are struck from a bottom ilange 48 so that their points normally extend inwardly of the frame member rather than outwardly. However, the tabs 4S are preferably bent in the manner shown in Fig. 5, so that before the application of the fabric covers thereto they extend downwardly and outwardly. Thus, the fabric covers may be applied to the tabs 46 in substantially the same manner as they are applied to the tabs 34.

Figs. 6 and 7 disclose another form of the present invention which is substantially identical to the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 through 4, except for the moditied shape of barbs or tabs 50 which replace the above initially Vformed so that it has a base portion 52 extending downwardly and outwardly, and an outer end portion 54 which extends substantially vertically downwardly or even downwardly and slightly inwardly ofthe frame. With this structure, the dust cover maybe applied to' the -barbs and initially retained in assembled relationship therewith by the outwardly inclined portions 52 inV the same Vmanner that the dust cover is applied and initially retained by the barbs or tabs 34: It will be appreciated, that since the tabs 34 are inclined outwardly, there is a possibility that the coverfabric I6 may accidentally slip therefrom `before they arebentV rearwardly and while the Workmans attention is directed toward pressing the fabric on other tabs. VThis problem is substantially elimi natedby the structure shown in'Pigs. 46 and '7, since the cover lfabric may be slightly stretched before it is applied `to Ythe 'downwardly extendingend portions '54 of the tabs, Yand Vthe-tension in the fabric will prevent it from becoming disassembled from the tabs before Vthe workman has had 'an opportunity to Vfold the tabs to their nal position shown in Fig. 7

From the above description it is seen that the present invention has provided a novel structure'where'in a plurality vof pieces Voffabric may be effectively secured to a Yrnetal frame member in a simple and economical manner.y InY addition, it is Yseen that the present invention has provided a novel structure wherein 'the pieces of fabric may -be Vsecured to a' metal frame member by means Vof integral'tabs without danger of injuring or Vtearingthe'fabric.

While `4the preferred embodiments of the present invention have,y been shown and described herein, it iis obvious that many structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Y

Y The invention is claimed as follows: Y

l.l A Afurniture'structure of the `type described comprising a sheet metal frame member having an elongated substantially `iiat portion, Vsaid frame member including a plurality of spaced integral tabs struck from and respectively leaving anopening in said flat portion and initially inclined downwardly and outwardly Vfrom integral junctionsV with said flat portion 'of said frame member, a fabric -dust cover impaled onY said tabs and extending in adirection away from aside of said iunction opposite from said openings, a fabric piece covering said frame member and having a double thickness hem impaled on said tabs over said dust cover, said fabric piece extending oppositely from said dust cover, and an elongated Y prising a sheet metal Vframe member having an elongated`V substantially fiat portion, said frame membery including a plurality of spaced integral tabs struck from said at portion thereof so as to leave openings in said portion, each of said tabs including a base portion extending from an integral junction with ,said portion downwardly and outwardly with respect to saidframe member 4andoverV itsrassociated opening, and an end portion extending substantially downwardly with respectto said frame member and at an angle to said base portion, a fabric dust cover impaled on said tabs and extending in a direction away from said openings andretained by said tabV base portions, a fabric piece covering saidframeYV and having a hem impaled on said tab end .portions over said ldust cover, said fabric piece extending oppositely from said dust cover, and an elongated wire Vextending longitudinally .through said vhem VYfor spreading any stresses applied to the fabric :means by said tabs, said tab end portionsbeing Afolded inwardly of said vtrarne member to sides lof said integral junctions opposite from said openin gs and, toward said frame member portion for trapping said hem and said wire. n

'Y v References-Cited in the file of this patent Y ,Y Y

Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Stubnitz Sept. v24, 1929, 1,839,822 Wolf Jan. 5,V 193'2 2,107,446 Y Koliba Feb. 8, 1938 2,117,748 'Stewart May 1'7, 1939 

